AN EXPOSITION OF THE APOCALYPSE
Sixth Edition, 1915
By Dr. John Thomas (first edition written 1861)

Chapter 19

5. The Name Written

"Having a Name which had been written, which no one knew
but he himself."

Before John saw the Faithful and True One in the heaven, a name
had been written upon his garment and upon his thigh, indicative
of the wearer of the garment in his glory and majesty No one
knew the name but he himself;" yet the name is given
in verses 16 and 13 as KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS" and
the Word of the Deity This is the Blessed and only Potentate
who Paul saith dwells in light which no man can approach
unto whom no man hath seen nor can see (1 Tim 6:15,16). This
name of the Invisible Deity had been written upon a garment
dyed with blood and upon a thigh The thigh and garment had
been filthy; but their filthiness had been purged or caused
to pass away so thoroughly, that the garment was as raiment
changed (Zech 3 3 5) The filthy garment was the Human Nature,
which the Word of the Deity was clothed with in His flesh-manifestation. "Jesus
Anointed" is ex-pressive of this idea. The garment of
humanity became changed raiment by the transforming power
of Spirit in the moment of its ascent to consubstantiality
with the Father. In this instantaneous quickening on the third
day, the name of King of kings and Lord of lords, the name
of the Invisible Father, was written, or engraved, into the
blood-stained substance, or veil, that was rent upon the cross.
In this process of inscription, the humanity was transmuted
into the Divine Nature, which in the scene before us, appears
metonymically as a garment and thigh inscribed with the glorious,
majestic, and all-powerful, name of the Invisible Blessed
and Only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords; of
which Spirit-manifestation, the appellation "THE LORD
JESUS ANOINTED" is the concise and Scriptural expression.

But though the name can be read, and expounded, "no one
knows the name but he himself'. The Father's name is written
upon the Lord Jesus Christ, and upon all the "redeemed
from among men" (ch. 14:1) but they are not therefore
the Father. The only Personage in the universe that can answer
to the name of the Invisible King of kings and Lord of lords
is the Invisible Father Himself. He therefore only knows the
name; it is truly representative of no one else. The personages
in the scene are Spirit-manifestations of the Father, the
Sons of the Deity upon whom His name has been written, (ch.
3:12) with One in their midst, in whom, it has pleased the
Father, all fullness shall dwell; and that he shall have the
pre-eminence among them in all things (Col. 1:18,19).

The pre-eminence is indicated by the name upon his thigh; and
by the long-sword going forth from his mouth. The name written
upon the thigh is elucidated by Psa. 45:3,4, addressed to
the King: "Gird thy sword upon the thigh, 0 Mighty One,
with thy glory and thy majesty: and in thy majesty ride prosperously
in the matter of the truth and meekness and righteousness;
and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things".
Thus, he rides forth upon the white horse in the scene before
us, followed by the hosts of the heaven, of whom he is the
Commander-in-chief, as indicated by the sword in apposition
with his mouth - "He hath made my mouth like a sharp
sword" (Isa. 49:2): and "the Word of the Deity is
living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword,
piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit,
and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts
and intents of the heart; neither is there any creature that
is not manifest in his sight" (Heb. 4:12). Such is the
power to which the garment and the thigh belong, and upon
which the name of the Blessed and the Only Potentate is inscribed.
The rider of the white horse is the Image of the Invisible
One, from whose mouth issues the command for the smiting of
the nations; a command which is executed by the people who
are his sword. He gives the word; they obey with alacrity
and invincible effect. This is symbolized in the scene before
us by a sharp sword as it were going out of the mouth of the
principal figure of the group, who is also styled, "the
Word of the Deity" - the Word made FLESH; and afterwards,
in its ascent to the Father, "justified by spirit," and
therefore SPIRIT. This all-powerful Image of the Invisible
King of kings, having smitten the nations by his all-conquering
hosts, assumes the government of them by right of conquest.
The mythic "sovereignty of the people" is effectually
and finally abolished from the earth, partial or universal
suffrage is extinguished; and the rule of a Righteous Despot,
who shall govern the nations by his own absolute will and
authority, will be substituted in their stead; for, it is
written, "he shall rule them with an iron rod".
Every approved and accepted believer of the Truth, who shall
have been made "like him," will participate with
him in the administration of this iron and righteous despotism
- iron because of its invincibility and strength: for "he
that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him
will I give power over the nations; and he shall rule them
with an iron rod" (ch. 2:26,27); "even as," saith
he, "I have received of my Father".